Engine regulator



June 19,1928. 1,673,855

S. P. WILBUR ENGINE REGULATOR Filed June 14. 1920 1E1- I- 20 I EH- JII- g INVENTOR.

Samue/ P M7611! Y I I A TTORNEY Patented June 19, 1928.

UNIT-ED stares .P rena oi-"Ficiz.

SAMUEL P. WILB UR, O F T OIIED O, OHIO, ASSIGNORH BY 'MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, .TO THE ELECTRIC AUTO-LITE QO MPA NY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ENGINE im'emmi'rota.

Ap'plication flled June 14, .1920. Serial 1N0. 388,840.

This invention relates to electric power plants in which an internal combustion'e'ngine, constitutingthe prime mover, drives a dynamo-electric machine which charges a 6 storage battery for supplying electric energy to lamps, motors, etc. :plants of this character the battery normally carries the load and. in the cas'e of the non-automatic type, is charged when necessary by the engine driven generator. The-'engineand generator, 'under' normal conditions, run at a substantially constant speed and charge the battery at a predetermined rate. When translating devices, such as motors, are being operated from thebattery it is often "found expedient to run the engine to assist the battery in carrying the load, in which 'c'ase 'part ofthe generated current nlay be 'takenby the batt'ery and parttakenby the load. Despite the ifactlthat theengine and generator may be'in' operation, an exceptiona'lly heavy :load on-the system 1I1Ely 1- quire even more power than the;gen'erator and battery can supply. \Verenrfixed higher charging rate =to be provided to take care of such a condition =thebattery -might be "inj ured by theexcessive charging rate under a light or no-load condition. It is an object of my invention, therefore, to.:provide for PM charging thfe b'attery :at the normal rate-under no-lo'ad or light-load con'ditionseand to inc'rease'the power of the engine to supply 'a materially greater amount of electric power to the load and-battery circuitsjointly when an excessively heavy load isthrown: on.

In carrying outmy invention 1 provide a valve in the venturi at the intake side of the engine which'valve normallygpartially restricts' the intake of air and ifuel to the engine. The valve formsa part or 'extension'of the plunger 'or armature .of an-electromagnet, the coil of which is connected in series with the loa d circuit and is operated to permita substantially free flowlof air and fuel to the engine when the dead current reaches a predetermined valne.

' Further obj ects' of this invention relate-to economies of manufacture and details of construction as will hereinafter appear f'rom the detailed descriptiontofollow. ,-I --accomplish the objects of any invention in =one instance by the' devices and means described in the following specification, but it is evident that the same may be varied widely without departing from the scope of the inclaims.

the -fuelreservoir connects at -.fuel .to the nozzle.

vention as pointed out in the appended A structure constituting one em bodiment of my iinvention, which may be "preferred, is illustrated in-the accompanying drawings forming a ;part hereof, in which: Figure Iis a verticalsectional =v1ew ofa portion ofan engine cylinder and the inlet tube illustrating-my invention.

Fig. :II is a Vertical section through the inlet tube and control magnettaken on the line "IL-11 0f Fig. I [and valve type. is shown-having an inlet-passage 1 6 to which iisattac hed one end of intake tube 7, the exhaust passage being located on another-fside of the engine lnotshown). The'intake' tube 7 is provided atthe opposite end with-a chamber 9 closed=by a cap .10 and communicatingavith a downwardly extend- 111g passage ll,through which the engine draws itsair supply. Intermediate its ends the intake tube 7 is formed with a Venturi tube '12 at whose neckportion the fuel enters. The outer conical portion of the Venturitube is shown'lprovidedwith a conical sleeve member 13 which has an annular =ch-annel gltcommunicating with the intake passage 15 and with the V'enturi tube througha number of'smallopenings 16.

Fuel enters through a nozzle l7 screwed intowthe tube 7 and covered bya plug 18. A suitable fuel pipemot shown,s1eading from 19 to convey Seated upon :thetop o'f-the intake tube -7 is the 'electro-magnetic valve mechanism 20.

l-his mech aiiism is supported and housed by a casing 21 and'a plate :22 secured by screws 23 .to the intake tube '7. .Attached -to .the

casing 21 andpla-te 22 is 'a guide tube '24 v-whichon-itsexteriorsupports a series coil '25, suitably insulated therefrom, and loosely fitting within-it is-.a movablecore-member 26 h-aving anextension127 of smaller divameter which: slides in asui-tableopening in the top of the intake tube 7. The tube 24, it will be noticed, extends down into an opening in the intake tube 7 for a short distance and the shoulder between that opening and the opening for the extension 27 provides a stop to limit the downward movement of the core 26. Secured to the top of the casingQL-as by a threaded engagement, is a fixed core member 30 having a small ring 31 of non-magnetic material embedded therein and projecting a short distance below it for the purpose of preventing contact between the stationary and movable core members. In order to adjust Itheweight of the movable core member 26, it is provided with a tube '33 secured thereto by a pin 34 and closed at its upper end by'a cap 35 whi ch tube is partially filled with shot 36.

By putting in or taking out shot the magnet can be adjusted to operate at any 'desired excitation. A conduit 37 carrying wires 48 is shown connected to thelower portion of the magnet casing. 1

According to the circuit diagram of Fig. III, the internal combustion engine. 5 is shown directly connected with a generator 40 electrically connected through a relay 4l to a storage battery 42, an ampere hour meter 43 and a load circuit 44 to which translating dev1ces,such as alamp 45 and a motor 46 may be connected. In series with the "load circuit 44 are the wires 48 extending up to the electr'omagnetic valve device 20- whereby this device is adapted to respond to the'loadcurrenta Int he operation of the device, assuming the engine to be running and the'generator deliver ng current tothe battery or load or 'both'and assuming further that the load current is below a predetermined value, as

for example 15 amperes, the movable core member 26 will ,be in its lowermost or released position" and the extension 27 will restrict the free flow of air and fuel to the engine. Under these conditions the excitation ofthe series coil 25 will be insuflicient to lift the movable core member 26 against the force of gravity. ditional translating devices be thrown on However, should adthe load circuitand the total-load current thereby increased above a predetermined value, say l5 amperes, then the excitation of the series coil will besuflicient to lift the core 26 until it contacts with the spacing ring 31 and thereby raise the extension 27 to such a position that the opening through the Venturi tube is substantially unrestricted. 'In this position additional air and fuel are taken bythe engine' and the speed thereby increases an amount such that the generator is able to carry the load entirely and also charge the battery, the amount of charge, of "course, depending upon the load or it maymerely assist the battery in carrying the load; When the load isrecharged at an excessive rate, inasmuch as the engine is controlled by the current flow in the load circuit and its speed is automatically reduced "as soon as the load currents is reduced to a safe charging value. b Inasmuch as the invention herein disclosed is susceptible of various other embodiment-s and as various changes might be made in theembodiment set forth, it is to be 1 understood that all matter described above or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted asillustrative only,

and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new 'anddesire to secure by LettersPatent, is:

i 1. The combination of an internal combustion engine, amember having a Venturi tube therein for conveying air and fuel to said engine, a casing mounted on said member,

a coil in said casing, a plunger core adapted to slide in said 0011, means for varying the welght of said core, a stationary core, member in said coil towardwhich said slidable core is lifted, said first member having an "opening in alignment with said plunger core and the neck of said Venturi tube and said plunger core aving a portion extending down through said opening into said tube whereby the passage ofair and fuel is normally restricted but is permitted to pass freely when the coil is energized sufliciently to lift the plunger core.

2. An engine regulating mechanism "for internal combustion engines, having an intake condult for fuel gases and a valve n said conduit; electro-magnetrc means for 'movingthe valve comprising a support; a

stationary coil positioned on the support; a'movable core in operatlverelationship with the coil and adapted to be moved thereby when said coil is electrically energized; and a well within the movable core adapted to receive a plurality of weighted particles whereby the point of initial movement of said core and attached valve may be varied,

the upper end of said well extending above the top of said coil whereby theinterlor 0 said wellis always accessible.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature. J SAMUEL WILBUR 

